﻿Two new species of crab spiders from Xiaolong Mountains in Gansu Province, China (Araneae, Thomisidae)

﻿Abstract Two new species of crab spider are described from the Xiaolong Mountains in Gansu Province, China: Ebelingiaspiralasp. nov. (♂♀) and Lysiteleslongensissp. nov. (♂♀). Detailed morphological characters, a distribution map, photographs, and illustrations of the habitus and copulatory organs are given for each species.


Introduction
As the seventh largest family of spiders worldwide, Thomisidae Sundevall, 1833 currently contains 171 genera and 2710 species from all over the world (WSC 2023). It has undergone regional revisions in Canada (Dondale and Redner 1978), Japan (Ono 2009), and China (Song et al. 1999;Tang et al. 2007Tang et al. , 2008Tang and Li 2010a, b). Although crab spiders have been revised, species reassigned, and unknown sexes described in recent decades, there are still many species needing in-depth study (Liu et al. 2022).
The genus Ebelingia Lehtinen, 2004 andLysiteles Simon, 1895 are mainly distributed in eastern and southern Asia. Currently, only three species of Ebelingia are known (WSC 2023): E. forcipata Song & Zhu, 1993, E. hubeiensis Song & Zhao, 1994, and E. kumadai Ono, 1985. All three species are distributed in China. E. forcipate and E. hubeiensis are endemic to China, mainly distributed in Fujian, Hubei, and Jiangxi provinces. There are no reports of this genus in Gansu Province. There are 63 Lysiteles species worldwide. The Chinese Lysiteles fauna is extraordinarily rich with 45 species (WSC 2023). More than half of the species are distributed in southern China, such as Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hubei Provinces, and Hainan Island. Only three species were reported in Gansu Province.
To enrich the diversity of Ebelingia and Lysiteles in Gansu Province, a survey from Xiaolong Mountains was carried out by colleagues of Hebei University. After a careful examination of thomisid materials, two new species, Ebelingia spirala sp. nov. and Lysiteles longensis sp. nov., were recognized. Illustrations of diagnostic structures and a distribution map are presented.

Materials and methods
All specimens are preserved in 95% ethanol. Specimens were examined and measured under a Leica M205A stereomicroscope. Photographs were taken using an Olympus BX51 microscope equipped with a Kuy Nice CCD and were imported into Helicon Focus v. 7 for image stacking. Final figures were retouched using Adobe Photoshop 2020. Eye sizes were measured as the maximum diameter in dorsal view. Leg measurements are shown as total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, and tarsus). All measurements are given in millimetres. The holotypes of the new species are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University (MHBU), Baoding, China. The paratypes are in the Museum of Baoding University.
Abbreviations used: AME, anterior median eyes; ALE, anterior lateral eyes; AME-ALE, distance between AME and ALE; AME-AME, distance between AMEs; PME, posterior median eyes; PME-PLE, distance between PME and PLE; PME-PME, distance between PMEs; PLE, posterior lateral eyes. Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin "spira" (meaning "a coil"), referring to the shape of RTA in ventral view, adjective.

Taxonomy
Diagnosis. Male of this new species resembles those of E. forcipata Song & Zhu, 1993(see Liu et al. 2022: 51, figs 4A-E, 5A-F) and E. hubeiensis Song & Zhao, 1994 (see Song and Zhao 1994: 115, fig. 4E, F) in having short embolus, flat tegulum, and a bifurcated RTA, but can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: (1) RTA about half the length of tibia (vs almost as long as tibia); (2) the presence of spiral thread on dorsal branch of RTA (vs smooth RTA). Female of E. spirala sp. nov. is similar to that of E. hubeiensis in having central concavity on anterior hood but can be distinguished by the L-shaped, long spermathecae (vs same length and width in E. hubeiensis).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Gansu Province, China (Fig. 17).

Genus Lysiteles Simon, 1895
Type species. Lysiteles catulus Simon, 1895 from Tamil Nadu, India. Diagnosis. See Tang et al. (2007) and Tang and Li (2010a, b Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality. "Long" is a short name for Gansu, adjective. Diagnosis. Male L. longensis sp. nov. is similar to that of L. silvanus Ono, 1980(see Ono 1980 in having a long RTA and twisted embolus, but it differs by the following combination of characters: (1) tegulum large and reniform, ca 3/4 of cymbium cavity (vs small, semicircular, and ca 1/2 of cymbium cavity); (2) the lowest point of embolus above the tegulum (vs the lowest point at 1/2 of the tegulum); (3) RTA straight, pointing dorsally (vs RTA flexed, pointing ventrally). Female is similar to that of L. silvanus (see Ono 1980: 212, figs 25-27) in having a broad atrium with a sclerotized, transversally extending plate and widely separated copulatory openings, Figures 9-12. Lysiteles longensis sp. nov. 9, 10 male habitus (9 dorsal view 10 ventral view) 11, 12 female habitus (11 dorsal view 12 ventral view). Scale bars: 1 mm. but it can be easily distinguished by the short, thick, and spherical copulatory duct (vs slender and strongly twisted).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Gansu Province, China (Fig. 17).